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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Talentutvikling i fotball : -en retrospektiv studie av aktivitetsbakgrunnen til toppfotballspillere i Norge

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Masteroppgave idrettsvitenskap- Universitetet i Agder 2014 Background: The subject of this study is talent development in soccer, with a focus on Norwegian Premier League players sporting background. The theory of deliberate practice (Ericsson et al., 1993) and “Developmental Model of Sports Participation” (Cote, Baker, & Abernethy, 2003) served as the theoretical foundations. Aim of study: The aim of this study was to: 1) analyze 5 Norwegian Premier League players involvement in various sporting activities through their development. 2) Identify which factors the players consider important to achieve expert level in soccer. 3) Investigate how soccer players perceive deliberate practice. Method: Qualitative depth interviews with 5 male Norwegian Premier League players were conducted. The data obtained were validated through independent interviews conducted with one parent of each player. Results: From the age of 5 to the age of 20 years, the players accumulated on average 5300 hours of deliberate practice, 4590 hours of deliberate play, 1544 hours of organized games and 168 hours of other sports. Intrinsic motivation, family support, friends, coaches and community were factors rated as important for attaining expert level in soccer. Conclusion: High amounts of deliberate practice and domain-specific deliberate play activity is necessary for attaining expert level in soccer. Early focus on one sport does not seem to influence skill acquisition or motivation negatively. Key words: Soccer, Talent development, deliberate play, deliberate practice, diversity, specializing